Her Daddy Always Hated Me
by Shorina
Summary: Jack Malone and his team are looking for a missing teenage girl. We're jumping right into the middle of their investigation...


This little story was written for the livejournal-community story_lottery for the prompt "a hut". There's no reference to anything from cannon but it's set before Elena joined the team.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the characters of Without A Trace and I don't make any money from this little story. I did make up the two teenagers and the parents, no resemblance to real persons is intended.

* * *

_+++ 50 hours missing +++_

Martin Fitzgerald flips open his mobile and hits a number for the speed-dial.

"Hey, any news for us?" Samantha Spade greets him over the line.

"Bad ones. The boyfriend's gone, too. No one's seen him for at least two days." Martin stands in front of the house and looks up and down the street, as if hoping Alex Nichols might come home any moment.

"Which fits the time Sally's been missing. Do you think what I think?"

"They ran off together, yeah."

Sam sighs audibly. "I'll see if I can trace him. Anyway, I'll call you as soon as I have news for you."

Martin's eyes finally come to rest on the Starbucks on the corner. "OK, I'll grab a coffee and then ask around a bit more. With some of luck there's a close friend around somewhere who knows where they are."

"Good luck, Martin. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks, Sam. I might need luck." He disconnects the call and heads towards the corner.

***

At the FBI headquarters Jack Malone, Vivian Johnson and Danny Taylor have been trying to follow the phone-call. They all look at Sam expectantly as she puts her mobile down. "The boyfriend hasn't been seen for the last two days either. Martin suspects they might have run off together."

"A nineteen-year-old running off with a fifteen year-old-girl, that will get him into trouble," Viv shakes her head slightly.

"Let's find the kids first before they get into trouble on their own," Jack points out. "What do we have on the boyfriend?" He looks at Danny across the table who quickly sets down his coffee and consults his notes.

"Alex Nichols, nineteen. Lives alone, parents died four years ago in a car crash. He was put under the care of his uncle but moved out there the day he turned eighteen. He changes jobs every couple of months, never lasting long. No criminal record though."

Vivian turns to look at him. "Do we know where he's currently working?"

"No, he got fired from his last job two weeks ago and as far as I know he's currently unemployed."

"What about the uncle? Has anyone spoken to him yet?" Sam looks at Danny as their expert on Alex.

But Danny shakes his head. "No, I tried to but couldn't reach him yet. Answering machine at home and his mobile goes through to voice-mail."

"Keep trying," Jack orders. "Hopefully he's got an idea where Alex might have taken Sally to."

Danny nods and leaves the conference table, heading back to his desk. Jack reaches across the table and pulls up Danny's notepad. He begins to look through the information the younger agent has put together.

"Alex's got a mobile. Sam – see if you can track it." Sam leans over to copy the number onto her own pad before turning to her computer.

Vivian starts to get up, too. "I'll talk to Sally's parents again. If she's truly run away with her boyfriend, a best friend might know. Hopefully her parents can give me some names and numbers."

Jack barely looks up from the notes, his concentration is visible on his face. "OK, sounds good."

_+++ 51 hours missing +++_

"Alex' mobile is off. Last log-on was in the Ridgewood area yesterday morning, 11:23 am," Sam updates Jack as he walks back into the office.

Jack notes the time and place on their time bar. It's the first mark after Sally's time of disappearance. He studies the pictures of Sally Davidson and Alex Nichols for the umpteenth time. Young love, disapproved of by Sally's parents. Alex is too old and not good enough for their daughter. That the girl is in love doesn't matter to them. As a father he can understand that they only want the best for their little girl but he wonders if denying a child it's first love actually is the best.

Vivian joins him after a moment. "If she said a word to anyone, it must be someone her parents don't know. I phoned all friends they could think of and I'm none the wiser."

"There might be friends she knows through Alex, some she thinks her parent's would disapprove of just like they do with Alex himself."

"If that's the case, let's hope Martin will be able to track them down."

_+++ 53 hours missing +++_

For the last two and a half hours, Martin has been tracking down Alex' last three employers. The only thing he learned from them is that Alex was often late which was the reason why he lost his job in two cases, he quit the first one himself. He got on fairly well with his co-workers but hadn't made any real friends at either place. And no, neither of his bosses had seen any friends around to pick him up from work. And neither bosses nor co-workers even know he had a girlfriend.

If Alex had a private life apart from his girlfriend, it must have happened somewhere else but close to home or work. Discouraged he returns to his car and checks back in with Sam.

"Hey Sam, any news on your end? 'Cause I feel like I'm going nowhere."

"Hardly anything I'm afraid. I tried to track Alex' mobile but it's been off since yesterday morning. He was in Ridgewood then. Viv's been talking to Sally's friends but either she told no one a word or they think they're doing her a favour by staying silent. We've checked Alex' bank account, he withdrew all money on account three days ago."

"So it wasn't a spontaneous idea."

"Seems not."

_+++ 54 hours missing +++_

"Jack!" Danny calls out across the open plan office.

Jack stops, his hand on the handle of his own office door. "Yeah?"

"I finally got through to the uncle. Alex inherited a hut up at Greenwood Lake from his parents. The uncle tells me Alex loves to go fishing there."

Sam strides over to a map, tracing her finger over it until she finds Greenwood Lake. Jack and Danny join her.

"It's worth a try. Martin's closer, he can go up there to check. There doesn't seem to be much reason for him to hang out around Alex' place any longer anyway."

Danny pulls out his mobile and dials Martin's number.

Martin sounds tired when he takes the call. "Hey Danny, you got anything for me?"

"Hopefully. I reached Alex' uncle, Alex owns a small hut up at Greenwood Lake, inherited from his parents. He says Alex loves to go fishing there and as we traced his mobile north from home it's worth a try. Can you drive up there and check it out?"

"A hut? Sounds like a good hideaway. Wait a second..." A rustling sound comes over the line and Danny imagines Martin fishing for a pen and pad with the mobile tucked between shoulder and chin. "OK, give me the address."

Danny reads it out to him and Martin promises to be in touch soon.

_+++ 55 hours missing +++_

Martin finally finds the right path that ultimately leads him to the small hut. Smoke is protruding from the chimney and an old motorbike is parked out front.

He gets out of the car, his eyes instinctively checking out his surroundings. The hut is surrounded by trees, a small footpath leads away to his left which he thinks is the direction of the lake. He quickly walks up to the hut and raps on the door. There is no reply so he raps again. "FBI, open up please."

A young female voice calls from inside. "What do you want? Go away!"

Martin's hopes rise. "Sally? My name is Martin Fitzgerald, I work for the FBI. We've been looking for you. Please open the door." He tries to keep his voice calm and gentle, not wanting to scare the teenager.

At first there is only silence, but then he hears footsteps and finally the sound of a bolt released. The door is opened a crack and he can see a part of Sally's face. "Do you have some kind of ID?"

Martin holds out his FBI badge so Sally can see it through the crack. "Your parents are worried sick about you, Sally."

"No, they aren't."

"Oh yes, they are. Can I come in, please?" He offers her a smile.

Hesitantly Sally opens the door and steps aside.

Martin looks around the small hut. "Where is Alex?"

"He's gone fishing, for dinner. Are my parents really worried?" She looks doubtful.

"Of course they are. And that's why I'll call my boss now so he can tell them you're all right." He reaches into his pocket for his mobile.

"No!"

"Sally..."

"No, they'll only separate us again. They hate Alex. Don't tell them where I am. Please..." She looks at him pleadingly.

"They won't separate you. You've proved how much you and Alex love each other, they cannot ignore it any longer. They'll just be happy to have you back home again. It'll be OK."

"No, it won't," a gruff voice says from behind Martin, making him turn around in surprise, his right hand still on his mobile in his pocket. "She's right, they hate me, say I'm too old for her. But what they really mean is I'm not good enough for their precious girl. Not much money, no great school records, I'm not worthy of their daughter. Only they're too smug to say it out loud." Alex walks over to Sally and pulls her into his arms. "Who're you anyway," he asks.

"FBI, I'm here because Sally's parents have reported her missing. We've been looking for her for over a day."

"Well, now you know she's fine. I'll take care of her. Tell her folks I can provide for her, whether they believe it or not."

"I can't just walk away, Alex. Sally is only fifteen. She belongs home to her parents."

"Bullshit, she belongs to me."

"Then come back to the city with us. We'll talk to her parents so you can see each other. But if you love her, Alex, let her return to her own life. Let her finish school, let her see her friends again." He looks at Sally. "Do you really want to leave everything behind, Sally? Not only your parents but your friends, your cat, all that is your life? You're both still young, you have time. Finish school first, with a good education you'll have a much better base for later."

"You sound just like her parents," Alex snarls, hugging Sally tighter.

She looks up at him, then back at Martin. "No, he doesn't. Would you really talk to my parents? Make them see that I love Alex and that I want him to be part of my life?"

"Of course, but first let's put them out of their misery." Feeling he's winning her over, he finally pulls his mobile out of his pocket and presses the speed-dial.

Alex wants to protest, but Sally pulls him aside and talks to him in a hushed voice, holding his hands. Martin keeps his eyes on them while he talks.

"Viv? I got them, they're both here at the hut."

***

Two hours later, James and Allison Davidson are sitting in the waiting area of the FBI building, Viv is waiting with them. Both Davidsons jump up as the elevator doors open, revealing Sally and Alex holding hands with Martin standing behind them.

"Sal!" Allison Davidson rushes towards her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace. For a moment, Sally still holds on to Alex but then her arms fly around her mothers neck and she clings to her as if she were five, not fifteen.

Her dad approaches, too. He glares at Alex. "What did you think you're doing?!" His voice is filled with anger, prompting Vivian to step between the two men.

"Please calm down, Mr. Davidson. There's enough time to talk about everything." She adds in a quieter voice: "Maybe you'd like to greet your daughter instead of yelling around. I think you really need to talk to each other..."

James Davidson stares at her for a moment but then the anger fades from his face and he nods, turning to the still hugging mother and daughter. He quietly steps up to them and puts one arm around each of them.

Alex stares at the family reunion but doesn't say a word. Martin has put a hand on his shoulder, unsure himself if it is for silent support or to hold him back.

"Come on, let the emotions die down a bit and then there'll be a lot to talk about." He leads Alex down the hall towards their office.


End file.
